Group of friends going to Hawaii for the first time which Island(s) should we visit?
DebbieB asked:
I’m planning a trip to go to Hawaii with two of my friends mid-July. However, I’m clueless as to which island we should visit. We’ll only be in Hawaii for 4-5 days…I want to go somewhere where we can party (we’re in our mid-20s), drink, see beautiful beaches, participate in water activites, but also have some quiet relaxation time in a beautiful atmosphere.
Which island would be our best bet? And which hotel would be considered the best to go to?
…Oh, and is it possible to travel to the different islands for a nominal fee?
This entry was posted
on Saturday, January 31st, 2009 at 6:06 pm and is filed under Hawaii Hotels.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
I’m planning a trip to go to Hawaii with two of my friends mid-July. However, I’m clueless as to which island we should visit. We’ll only be in Hawaii for 4-5 days…I want to go somewhere where we can party (we’re in our mid-20s), drink, see beautiful beaches, participate in water activites, but also have some quiet relaxation time in a beautiful atmosphere.
Which island would be our best bet? And which hotel would be considered the best to go to?
…Oh, and is it possible to travel to the different islands for a nominal fee?
February 1st, 2009 at 4:00 am
Waikiki Beach in Oahu.
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:11 am
i would recommend kona, on the big island. its a fun town. i couldn’ttell you a hotel. i used to live in Hilo( the other side of the island), but i remember always going to kona and partying.
February 5th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
If you are only going to be there for 4 or 5 days that pretty much limits you to one Island. At 20 years old I would suggest Waikiki Beach in Honolulu on the Island of Oahu. It has any number of daytime and nighttime activities, something to fit almost anyones taste. The nightlife is as good as anywhere, plenty of clubs and street performers to keep you entertained. There are the same water activities you will find on any of the islands. Even better you can access any of them without having to rent and drive a car (no need for a designated driver here). And after all, who hasn’t dreamed of sunning themselves on world famous Waikiki Beach. It is absoutely beautiful.
If you do find time to visit other islands you can travel one way from Honolulu for $19 to $39 on Hawaiian or Aloha airlines to any of the other islands, around $50 to $90 round trip.
February 6th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Generally Kuai is the most popular island for “partying” and beautiful beaches. The Big Island is best for getting away from the crowds.
The number one thing to do before going is to get the book “Hawaii Revealed” based on the island you go to. My vacation would have been less than half as enjoyable if I had not used that book to find out where the best places to go are.
February 9th, 2009 at 2:21 am
Maui,or Oahu. Oahu has a lot of congestion on the roads,hard to get around. Maui is more relaxing.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:45 am
for that short of time, check out maui..
i found great condo rental rates on this site..
February 12th, 2009 at 12:26 am
since you’re in your 20s and are going to party… you must stay on Oahu and get a hotel on Waikiki. The rest of the islands are absolutley gorgeous but are more laid back and don’t offer much of a party atmosphere. The bars on Waikiki stay open till 4 am. You won’t find much night life on any other island. Have fun in beautiful Hawaii!
February 13th, 2009 at 2:09 am
The island of Oahu. Especially the Waikiki Beach area. Plenty of things to keep you occupied! Go to Duke’s canoe club (they party hearty) at night! You can go surfing, swim, hike Diamond Head, just soooooooo many things to do.
Enjoy yourself!! I would suggest an Ohana hotel for you and your friends.
Go on Expedia.com for deals for the air and hotel. You can fly to the diffrent islands for around 120.00 (one way). Or you can go on the Hawaii SuperFerry!!
February 13th, 2009 at 4:44 am
I spent a week in Kauai and one in Maui over Y2K. Kauai was the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Lush…….never used that word before but that defines it. Wonderful food, scenery and very laid back. Maui was beautiful but offered more in the way of partying. Enjoy!!!!
February 14th, 2009 at 7:42 am
Definitely Oahu. I say that as an Oahuian (my own word.. so if you call people ‘oahuians’ they’ll look at you funny).
Some people have been saying Kauai.. No way!!! I’ve NEVER heard such things about Kauai being a party place. Oahu has the downtown city life. There are music clubs that you can go to.. shows, etc. There’s also Waikiki and North Shore where they film tv shows and movies (they’re filming one right now at Turtle Bay)
I’ve heard that Maui can be a party island too – in Lahaina – although Waikiki is much bigger than Lahaina and Oahu generally has more things to do. There’s also tons of touristy things you can do here too.. Diamond Head.. Pearl Harbor… Iolani Palace.. etc.
Oh and also something important to note! I was reading through the comments and saw that Gloria said that visiting another island was $120 one way. You gotta be out of your mind if you’re going to be paying $120 ONE WAY. The prices are CHEAP! It is only $40 one way to go to another island. Go on Go! airlines or Hawaiian airlines. You can get a roundtrip ticket to another island for only $80. (But in offpeak seasons it’s only $30 one way) And if you are a Go! member, for example, tickets are only $25 one way. Pretty sweet. Anyway check it out….
Oh and I just went to and they have a special where you can get a one way ticket for $25 as well. Super cheap! So for the price of a meal at some restaurant, you can go to another island.
February 17th, 2009 at 9:42 am
If you’re coming here for the first time, I would suggest you come to Oahu and stay in Waikiki.
Travel to the outer islands is fairly cheap……but since you’re only going to be here for a few days, you’re better off staying in one place for your whole trip rather than bouncing around to the different islands. It’s not worth going to another island if you’re only going to spend one day there (cost is about $100 for each round trip ticket plus the cost of a rental car when you get there) ’cause you’re not going to be able to really enjoy the island.
As far as hotel goes, it depends on what your price range is. I would suggest you check out the Hilton Hawaiian Village or Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. Both of those hotels are flagship hotels for a major chain so will offer lots of opportunities for different venues.
If that’s not in your budget, I would suggest the Waikiki Marriott Resort and Spa. That’s a bit lower in price than the other two but clean and nice all the same.
If that’s still above your budget, I would suggest you check out some of the Outrigger chain hotels. Some of those hotels are nicer than others (so watch the prices, the higher ones are the nicer ones) but they all offer walking distance to the beach and a clean room to put your head down.
Hope that helps…..happy travels!
February 18th, 2009 at 7:25 am
Well I’m only 14 but I’ve been to Hawaii twice.I just went there in Dec-Jan. And I visited the islands of Kauai and Oahu, but our first trip was to the islands of Oahu and Maui. And personally I loved Kauai the best! It was so relaxing, and very laid back, there were bars around and the beach was in a good walking distance. and for Oahu it is like a NYC in Hawaii, just not so polluted. It was nice to be around people, but is very full of Japanese, which isn’t bad at all, just they tend to be alittle pushy, sorry if anyone is Japanese =\ But on Oahu there is Diamond Head and of course Pearl Harbor, which I visited both and they were very educational and fun! But that’s entirely up to you!
But I would choose to go to Kauai for a nice friend get together, as for the Island transfer, I have no clue on the $$ cause my parents took care of that, but I know that the plane was very nice and spacious and they serve you Guava Juice!!
Have a GREAT time, and huge a palm tree for me
February 21st, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Definatly hit up the Big Island to see the Volcano! It is the most beautiful of all the islands to me. If you like the outdoors, you can hike in the mountains, see waterfalls, walk on black sand beaches, see snow on Mauna Kea, and really have a vacation. Honolulu is for you if you like the nightlife and are looking for a more city type or vacation. Maui is also beautiful but expensive.
Each island is so different from the next, I’d say see them all and decide for yourself which you like best. 
February 23rd, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Each of the Hawaiian Islands has its own personality and character. So, knowing what type of person you are and what you like to do will help you decide which of the islands you will like.
If you like tourists and fishing you should like the Kona area of the “Big Island” of Hawaii.
If you like solitude, a tropical feel, a rural atmosphere and you don’t mind rain, you should like the Hilo area of the Big Island. The west side of the Big Island has a few nice small beaches, including black sand beaches. Near Ka Lae, the southernmost point of the island you will find a green sand beach. Big beaches are not prevalent on the Big Island.
If you enjoy scenery, hiking, snorkeling, kayaking or surfing and don’t yearn for “night life” then the oldest of the islands, Kauai is for you.
If you are the kind of person who keep a bathing suit, snorkel gear or a surfboard in your car, then Maui is for you, because it has 120 miles of easily accessible and swimmable coastline, more than any other island.
If you have an artistic temperament or perhaps you like to get away and write, then seek out the island of Lanai.
If you love nature, hiking and solitude, then “the most Hawaiian” of the islands, Molokai is for you.
You’ll enjoy Oahu if you like beaches, shopping, tourists, high-rises, traffic and don’t mind a lot of other people. Honolulu is like a tropical version of NYC, or LA as it was in the smog-free 1950′s.